


The Dance

by agonothymicInsomniac



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Smut, thats all im planning for, thats basically it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-03-05 12:53:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,537
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3120872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agonothymicInsomniac/pseuds/agonothymicInsomniac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He laid one strong hand on the small of her back, and the other gripped her hand firmly. He led the waltz as they danced in the pale moonlight.<br/>She watched, silently, coldly, expressionless.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I. The Kitchen

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't sat down to write something serious in well over a year. It's 2AM, I can't sleep, but I sincerely hope you guys enjoy. <3

“Are you sure you know how to dance, Bull?” Adaar asked. The light nightclothes she wore flowed between the gaps in her fingers, and the long cornrows pinned to the back of her head bumped silently onto her shoulders. The garden was completely empty—a rare occurrence.

“Let’s just say those practices with Viv’ are… pretty fruitful,” Bull replied, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “Let’s just say, I at least know how to avoid stepping on toes.”

Adaar and Bull began their practice session under the stone gazebo. He laid one strong hand on the small of her back, and the other gripped her hand firmly. He led the waltz as they danced in the pale moonlight.

~~~

Sera smiled to herself as she tightly gripped her lock-picks. The countless times Skyhold had to change the locks on the kitchen would never keep this feisty elf from picking them. After all, who in their right mind would let such a pantry go to waste with unnecessary spoiling? She crept through the grand hall, under Vivi’s “balcony of doom”, and through the noisy doors that led to the outdoor pathway.

She was quite pleased with how proficient she had become at sneaking through the building. She had almost begun walking normally again instead of skulking, but suddenly sighted two tall figures under the gazebo.

 _Pesky lovers_ , she thought as she rolled her eyes, _could've ruined my whole plan!_

In a low stance, she tip-toed to the kitchen. She refused to retreat just because two secret lovers wanted some alone time! As she began deciphering the lock, she heard a loud _gasp!_ from behind her. She took a quick breath in and held it, trying not to move a muscle.

~~~

“I thought you said you knew how to avoid stepping on toes! Fuck!” Adaar whispered harshly, stepping out into the cool grass and under the light of a lantern to better examine her injured foot.

“Boss, it might be, in some way, your fault. You did come out here without shoes.”

“You have… a very good point. Anyways, I’m fine. If I let a little toe get in my way, what kind of Inquisitor am I, anyways?”

~~~

Sera felt her blood boiling. Adaar! With Bull! She clumsily had her way with the lock and barged into the kitchen, about to slam the door before realizing she _was_ eavesdropping. She softly let the door swing back into place, but stopped it just a little before it was closed, leaving a small crack.

All the things that damned qunari had said! All the ways she was chatting her up, all the nights they had spent in bed! Was she just pulling her along, teasing her? 

“Well, not like I was really… expecting anything else, was I?” she whispered to herself. After sitting against the cold wall with her head on her knees, she decided to just shut up and… watch.

~~~

Adaar hummed to the rhythm of their feet. She was starting to get the hang of this whole dancing thing. She began to lead instead of Bull, and they were beginning to mix it up a bit: twirling here, a dip there, a jump now and then.

“Didn’t know you knew how to loosen up!” Bull laughed heartily.

Adaar simply smiled at him and bowed deeply, “I think that’s enough for tonight, Bull.”

“If you say so,” he replied with a playful smirk, and they went their separate ways.

~~~

Sera looked upon their dancing with a blank expression. The only thing running through her mind is that she should be the one there, dancing with that gorgeous lost queen. She was jealous every time Adaar smiled at Bull, and inexplicably relieved when they finally left. Not even bothering to get herself a midnight snack to eat on her rooftop, she simply got up and left to retire to her room.


	2. The Change

“I-I just can’t believe--!” Sera exclaimed, cutting herself off with a swig of ale. “I mean, I know you ‘n Josie aren’t _together_ but she wouldn’t dance with anyone but you, really. Well she’d dance with some stuck-up ruffle-y diplomat, yeah? But not for the same reason she’d dance with you.”

“Aye. But we’re here to talk about your problems. Not mine,” Blackwall replied as he set down his tankard, the frothy top of his beer caught in his moustache. Cabot brought over two plates of steaming roast ram and set it in front of the pair with a noise that sounded halfway between a grunt and some kind of thank you. Sera disgracefully picked at it with her fingers, eating it with a certain kind of anger you could only find in one who had inconveniently fallen for the Inquisitor and then saw them dancing with someone who you thought was your friend.

Sera brought her voice down to a whisper, checking over her shoulder to see if Bull was paying much attention, “Do you think it’s a Qunari thing? I can never tell what’s what with all that Ben-Hassrath shit you hear ‘bout.”

“I doubt that, Sera. Our Adaar is Tal-Vashoth, and now so is Bull, I guess.” Blackwall thoughtfully stroked his beard, “You said they were dancing, right? Maybe they’re just preparing for that _Halamshiral_ Ball.” His face twisted in disgust. Sera giggled at his disdain for the nobles, almost spilling her ale in the process.

“Brackwhall,” she said, chewing with her mouth open, “I get wut yer sayin, but do ya’ think she really cares—man this hits the spot!” She swallowed, her eyes widening at surprise at the especially delicious roast today. The little victories.

“Why shouldn’t she? She’s spent her whole life as a mercenary. What’s wrong with a little ball?”

“What’s wrong with it is that I don’t fit in with that crowd, yeah? What reason would she have to bring me? Much less dance with me…,” Sera sighed, stuffing more food into her mouth.

“Maybe you could learn to fit in. First of all, don’t chew with your mouth open,” he said, gently pushing her jaw shut. Her eyes pleaded in protest as she swallowed.

“You think I could do it?”

“If you love this girl as much as you act like you do, then yes. I think you could do it.”

“Then… that’s all the reason I need.”

~~~

“Alright, Sera. Try to sit like a lady. Do your best,” Josephine said, pouring freshly brewed tea for both of them. When she turned around, she was so disgusted she could have dropped the silver platter with their tea and _hors-d'oeuvres_ right then and there. “M-My dear we have… a lot of work to do.” Josephine did her best to smile and set the platter down on the small table by the fire.

Sera groaned and slumped into her chair, “Alright. Where do I begin?”

“For starters, if you must cross your legs, do it by the ankles. And sit up, straighten your back. And chin up. Shoulders back.” Josephine rattled off commands as Sera fixed herself. “Hands in lap, not crossed.”

Sera adopted a funny-sounding voice, something one could only compare to a nobleperson of Orlais. “Ah, yes. And I suppose I should also change into my golden silk gown and put on my fancy powdered wig made up of the finest strands of horse hair and my mask made of only the rarest gemstones.”

“We can get through this without any difficulties, Sera. After all, you are the one who chose to be here,” Josephine shot her a sly look and sipped at her tea delicately.  
“You’ve got a point there… Ugh. Just show me what to do.”

~~~

Sera and Blackwall stood on the battlements of Skyhold. Sera stood with her arms at her side, not to close to her body, but not too far away. She strolled forward, four books stacked atop her head sitting perfectly still.

Blackwall laughed at her behavior, which she was quick to defend, “Oi! It was you who suggested this.” She broke form and caught one of the books falling from her head, throwing it at Blackwall.

He caught the book and flipped through it. His eyes widened at what he read and he quickly shut April in My Thoughts. He cleared his throat, “My bad. Didn’t mean to offend. I’m sure our dear Inquisitor won’t be able to keep her eyes off of you. Just for the record, I had Josephine put a good word in. Don’t say I’ve never helped you.”

“Hmph. You’re a romantic!” she cackled, picking up her (mostly stolen from the library) books. “But… thanks, Blackwall. You’re a real pal.” She plucked the last book out of his hands and dashed off to her room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Sorry I took forever to finish writing the next chapter.... at 2AM again it seems. This really is my hour! Anyways, school started up again, you know how THAT is. Anyways, enjoy! The balls next! PLEASE, CONTAIN YOUR EXCITEMENT.


	3. The Ball

Sera cleared her throat as the Inquisitor left her party in the garden to go look for a poor girl’s ring. She happened to end up right next to The Iron Bull. “So, fancy seeing you here, Bull. Do you care much for this stuff?”

He chuckled, “Not my favorite pastime, but I probably like it more than you do. Just listen and you might hear a few… interesting things.”

“Oh, yes. There are many interesting things to hear,” Sera’s eyes drifted to Adaar as she bent over to splash around in some tiny fountain, “and see, for that matter.” She giggled to herself and pulled her opera-style gloves further up her arms. _Damn my stick arms!_ she thought, rolling her eyes.

Josephine had stuffed her into a rich purple velveteen dress. It was rather form-fitting until it hit her hips and began to fan out. It had a long slit up the side, and Sera supposed she liked the subtle and scandalous detail. The thing that made it most worth it were huge dangle-y earrings she had adorned. They were ridiculously noisy, but she frankly didn’t give two fucks if anyone was annoyed by it.

She waited for Adaar by the gate that led into the actual palace. She noticed people staring at her, but remembered what Josephine told her about being rude in the Orlesian Court and chose to ignore it after a bit of thought. She fingered the hairpiece of wax berries Josephine had placed in her hair. Red, to match the Inquisitor’s own dress.

For the first time in her life, Sera realized how vulnerable she felt. She had endured almost everything with an iron fist—hunger, homelessness, dangerous missions—and yet this ball is the thing that made her heart race.

She gasped as Adaar suddenly passed her, the qunari breaking her stream of thoughts. Sera could tell she had put on perfume by the way she smelled. Rose oil, perhaps? Sera smirked. Maybe this girl really was a princess at heart.

When the palace guards finally opened the gates to the palace, Sera caught a glimpse of Vivienne, looking stunningly sharp as always. She tried to copy her stance: chin up, shoulders back, hands on hip. Frankly, she looked ridiculous strolling through the corridor. She must have, because she was suddenly stopped by Josephine.

“You have a different kind of presence than Vivienne,” she whispered, changing Sera’s pose as if playing with a doll. “There, stay like that. Walk as if you have the books on your head. Now, what are we to remember?”

Sera exhaled, annoyed, “No ugly looks at the nobles, no laughing at their stupid clothes, no cursing. Is that good enough?”

“Just fine, and go easy on the snacks. Don’t want to spill anything on that dress.”

~~~

Sera leaned on a table, half falling asleep. When her elbow slipped off the table, she stopped short of her head hitting the table and stood up rigidly straight. This affair was so much longer than she thought it would be. How hard is it to sit some nobles down and work out their issues? She supposed she really didn’t understand much about politics, or why they were so complicated. Not many people had come up to talk to Mai Balysch of Korse, but she didn’t mind it much.

When Adaar walked quickly towards her, seemingly out of nowhere, and grabbed her wrist quite forcefully, she gulped. Adaar whispered, “We have a problem. Gather the others and meet me in the Royal Chambers. Something strange is afoot.”

Sera nodded, “Of course, Lady Inquisitor.” With that, they parted.

~~~

“Andraste’s tits!” Sera exclaimed, downing another round while talking to Josephine, who was already quite inebriated herself. “I thought we were done for when Miss What’s-Her-Butterfly came out of batshit nowhere and opened that rift. But as always, we’re fine. Everyone is safe, the three robber barons of Orlais are working together, and the party can begin!”

“My goodness! How ever did you get out of there?” Josephine’s eyes widened to the size of the moon and she looked so crazy Sera couldn’t help but laugh.

“You, Miss Ruffles, are too far gone. Go find Leliana, I’m sure we’re leaving soon. I’ll find Adaar.”

Sera shook her head and rushed around the palace looking for Adaar. She turned the corner into the balcony from the parlor, but stopped as she realized Adaar was talking to Bull. She sucked in a breath and cautiously looked out at them.

Adaar giggled and flicked a braid behind her ear. As she bashfully looked away from Bull, her eyes met Sera’s. She quickly looked away back to Bull, saying something nervously. He gently took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. She smiled and nodded. She slowly pulled away from him and headed towards the door—towards Sera.

Sera quickly got away from the door and ran to the snack table, acting as if she were eating.

“Sera?” Adaar said cautiously, her hand brushing against Sera’s shoulder. She jumped, turned towards Adaar, and let a small smile creep onto her lips.

“It’s been some night, hasn’t it? You’ve been staying away from the crowd?” Sera replied, looking at the beautiful paint that mimicked a mask, all around Adaar’s eyes. She was close enough to see every small detail. In fact, the qunari had her backed against the wall. She broke the silence that had accumulated. “That isn’t real vitaar is it?”

“No. Unfortunately I did not wish to wear poison on my face tonight. After all, it has been such a long night, hasn’t it? It’s too bad. I had some plans in mind,” she whispered, fidgeting with Sera’s earring, entranced by the way the delicate lights were caught in the gemstones.

Sera felt the heat rise to her face as she dared to run her fingers over Adaar’s gold necklace. “Oh? And what would that be, Lady Inquisitor?”

Adaar smiled, “Please, call me Asala. You don’t have to be so formal here. And… I was thinking a dance perhaps might suit us well?”

Sera’s eyes widened. She hesitated a moment as her voice caught in her throat. “There’s no one else you’d rather share your last dance with?”

“No one,” Asala smiled, leaning closely to Sera’s ear. “You know, just between you and me, I wasn’t planning for this to be my last dance.”

Sera smirked and giggled as she snaked her arm around the Inquisitor’s waist.

“Of course I’ll dance with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one night? CRAZY! For the record, the next chapter is pretty much going to be 100% smut. But it's skippable, if you're not into that. Won't be any plot in it. Sorry for any mistakes, this will be beta'd in the morning when i am not passing out over my laptop trying to finish typing this


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